If it takes x hours of shoveling to gather y pounds of coal, then how many hours of shoveling does it take to gather a ton of coal?

 is the answer.

Thanks SVS,

this is how I would attach this problem,

I had to look it up but I also have     2000 pounds in a US ton   .  

We have      \(\frac{x \;hours}{y \;pounds},\qquad \frac{2000\;pounds}{1\;ton}\qquad 1 ton,\qquad ?hours\\~\\ \)

I want   hours,   I want to cancel out all the other units.

\(\frac{x\;hours}{y\;pounds}\times \frac{2000\;pounds}{1ton}\times 1ton=\frac{2000x}{y}\;hours\)